Match, replace, and mix colors

Match colors

Match the color in different images

The
Match Color command matches colors between multiple images, between multiple
layers, or between multiple selections. It also lets you adjust
the colors in an image by changing the luminance, changing the color
range, and neutralizing a color cast. The Match Color command works
only in RGB mode.

Note:

When you use the Match Color
command, the pointer becomes the Eyedropper tool. Use the Eyedropper
tool while adjusting the image to view the color pixel values in
the Info panel. This panel gives you feedback about changes in color
values as you use the Match Color command. See View
color values in an image.

The Match Color command
matches the colors in one image (the source image) with colors in
another image (the target image). Match Color is useful when you’re
trying to make the colors in different photos consistent, or when
certain colors (such as skin tones) in one image must match the
colors in another image.

In addition to matching the color
between two images, the Match Color command can match the color
between different layers in the same image.

Match the color between two images

(Optional)
Make a selection in the source and target images.

If you don’t make a selection, then the Match Color command
matches the overall image statistics between images.

Make the image that you want to change active, and then
choose Image > Adjustments > Match Color.

If you’re applying the Match Color command to a specific
layer in the target image, make sure that layer is active when you
choose the Match Color command.

From the Source menu in the Image Statistics area of
the Match Color dialog box, choose the source image whose colors
you’ll be matching in the target image. Choose None when you don’t
want to reference a different image to calculate the color adjustment.
With None chosen, the target image and the source image are the
same.

If necessary, use the Layer menu to choose the layer from
the source image whose colors you want to match. You can also choose
Merged from the Layer menu to match the colors from all the layers
in the source image.

If you made a selection in the image, do one or more
of the following:

In the Destination Image area, select Ignore
Selection When Applying Adjustment if you’re applying the adjustment
to the entire target image. This option ignores the selection in
the target image and applies the adjustment to the entire target
image.

In the Image Statistics area, select Use Selection
In Source To Calculate Colors if you made a selection in the source
image and want to use the colors in the selection to compute the
adjustment. Deselect this option to ignore the selection in the
source image, and use the colors from the entire source image to
compute the adjustment.

In the Image Statistics area, select Use Selection
In Target To Calculate Adjustment if you made a selection in the
target image and want to use the colors in the selection to calculate
the adjustment. Deselect this option to ignore the selection in
the target image and compute the adjustment by using the colors
of the entire target image.

To automatically remove a color cast in the target image,
select the Neutralize option. Make sure that the Preview option
is selected so that your image is updated as you make adjustments.

To increase or decrease the brightness in the target
image, move the Luminance slider. Alternatively, enter a value in
the Luminance box. The maximum value is 200, the minimum is 1, and
the default is 100.

To adjust the color saturation in the target image, adjust
the Color Intensity slider. Alternatively, enter a value in the
Color Intensity box. The maximum value is 200, the minimum is 1
(which produces a grayscale image), and the default is 100.

To control the amount of adjustment applied to the image,
move the Fade slider. Moving the slider to the right reduces the
adjustment.

Click OK.

Match the color of two layers in
the same image

(Optional) Make a selection
in the layer you want to match. Use this method when matching a
color region (for example, facial skin tones) in one layer with a
region in another.

If you don’t make a selection, then the Match Color matches
the colors of the entire source layer.

Make sure that the layer you want to target (apply the
color adjustment to) is active, and then choose Image >
Adjustments > Match Color.

From the Source menu in the Image Statistics area of
the Match Color dialog box, make sure that the image in the Source
menu is the same as the target image.

Use the Layer menu to choose the layer whose colors you
want to match. You can also choose Merged from the Layer menu to
match the colors from all the layers.

If you made a selection in the image, do one or more
of the following:

In the Destination Image area, select Ignore
Selection When Applying Adjustment if you’re applying the adjustment
to the entire target layer. This option ignores the selection in
the target layer and applies the adjustment to the entire target
layer.

In the Image Statistics area, select Use Selection
In Source To Calculate Colors if you made a selection in the source
image and want to use the color in the selection to compute the
adjustment. Deselect this option to ignore the selection in the
source layer and use the colors in the entire source layer to compute
the adjustment.

In the Image Statistics area, select Use Selection
In Target To Calculate Adjustment if you want to use only the colors
in the selected area of the target layer to compute the adjustment.
Deselect this option to ignore the selection and use the colors
of the entire target layer to compute the adjustment.

To automatically remove a color cast in the target layer, select the Neutralize option. Make sure that the Preview option is selected so that your image is updated as you make adjustments.

To increase or decrease the brightness in the target
layer, move the Luminance slider. Alternatively, enter a value in
the Luminance box. The maximum value is 200, the minimum is 1, and
the default is 100.

To adjust the range of color pixel values in the target
layer, adjust the Color Intensity slider. Alternatively, enter a
value in the Color Intensity box. The maximum value is 200,
the minimum is 1 (which produces a grayscale image), and
the default is 100.

To control the amount of adjustment applied to the image,
adjust the Fade slider. Moving the slider to the right reduces the
amount of adjustment.

Click OK.

Save and apply settings in the
Match Color command

In the Image Statistics area
of the Match Color dialog box, click the Save Statistics button.
Name and save the settings.

In the Image Statistics area of the Match Color dialog
box, click the Load Statistics button. Locate and load the saved
settings file.

Replace colors

Replace the color of objects in
an image

Photoshop provides several techniques that
let you replace the colors of objects. For great flexibility and
results, apply a Hue/Saturation adjustment to selected objects.
For less flexibility but a convenient grouping of options, use the
Replace Color dialog box. For speed but less precision, try the
Color Replacement tool.

Video tutorial: Change the color of an object

Video tutorial: Change the color of an object

Deke McClelland

Apply a Hue/Saturation adjustment
to selected objects

In most cases, this flexible technique best
replaces colors. Because masks and adjustment layers are non-destructive,
you can later fine-tune the results with complete freedom. A unique
Colorize option makes absolute, rather than relative, color changes
(avoiding tinting from original colors).

In the Properties panel, change Hue and Saturation settings to replace the object’s color. If the original color tints the new color, select Colorize, and readjust settings. (See Adjust hue and saturation.)

Note:

Leave the Lightness setting at zero to
maintain contrast. To maintain both contrast and saturation, select
the Hue blending mode for the adjustment layer.

If necessary, enlarge or reduce the affected area by painting on the mask with white or black. (See Edit a layer mask.)

Use the Replace Color dialog box

The
Replace Color dialog box combines tools for selecting a color range
with HSL sliders for replacing that color. You can also choose the
replacement color in the Color Picker.

Replace Color lacks
the Colorize option from the Hue/Saturation adjustment, which may
be needed for a complete color change. You may also find the adjustment
layer technique easier for changing specific objects. However, the Replace
Color command is good for global color changes—especially changing out-of-gamut
colors for printing.

Choose Image > Adjustments >
Replace Color.

(Optional) If you are selecting similar, contiguuous
colors in the image, select Localized Color Clusters to build a
more accurate mask.

Select a preview option:

Selection

Displays the mask in the preview box. Masked areas are
black, and unmasked areas are white. Partially masked areas (areas
covered with a semitransparent mask) appear as varying levels of
gray according to their opacity.

Image

Displays the image in the preview box. This option is
useful when you are working with a magnified image or have limited
screen space.

To select the colors that you want to replace, use the
Eyedropper tool to click
in the image or in the preview box to select the areas exposed by
the mask.

To refine the selection, do any of the following:

Shift-click or use the Add To Sample Eyedropper
tool to
add areas.

Alt-click (Windows), Option-click (Mac OS),
or use the Subtract From Sample Eyedropper tool to
remove areas.

Click the Selection Color swatch to open the Color
Picker. Use the Color Picker to target the color you want replaced.
As you select a color in the Color Picker, the mask in the preview
box is updated.

Drag the Fuzziness slider or enter a Fuzziness value
to control the degree to which related colors are included in the
selection.

Double-click the Result swatch and use the Color
Picker to select the replacement color.

Note:

You cannot replace pure gray, black,
or white with a color. However, you can change the Lightness setting.
(The Hue and Saturation settings are relative to existing color,
so they have no effect.)

(Optional) Click Save to store settings you will later
load for other images.

Use the Color Replacement tool

The Color Replacement tool paints over a targeted color with a replacement color. While this tool is good for quick edits, it often proves unsatisfactory, particularly with dark colors and black. If you don’t get good results after experimenting with tool options, see Adjust hue and saturation.

The Color Replacement tool doesn’t work in Bitmap, Indexed, or Multichannel color mode.

Select the Color Replacement tool . (If
the tool isn’t visible, access it by holding down the Brush tool.)

In the options bar, choose a brush tip. Generally, you
should keep the blending mode set to Color.

For the Sampling option, choose one of the following:

Continuous

Samples colors continuously as you drag.

Once

Replaces the targeted color only in areas containing the color that you first click.

Background Swatch

Replaces only areas containing the current background
color.

From the Limits menu, select one of the following:

Discontiguous

Replaces the sampled color wherever it occurs under the pointer.

Contiguous

Replaces colors that are contiguous with the color immediately under the pointer.

If the range of replaced colors is too
small, increase the Tolerance setting in the options bar.

Mix colors selectively

Make selective color adjustments

Selective
color correction is a technique used by high-end scanners and separation
programs to change the amount of process colors in each of the primary
color components in an image. You can modify the amount of a process color
in any primary color selectively—without affecting
the other primary colors. For example, you can use selective color
correction to dramatically decrease the cyan in the green component
of an image while leaving the cyan in the blue component unaltered.

Even
though Selective Color uses CMYK colors to correct an image, you
can use it on RGB images.

Make sure that the composite channel is selected
in the Channels panel. The Selective Color adjustment is available
only when you’re viewing the composite channel.

You can also choose Image > Adjustments > Selective
Color. But keep in mind that this method makes direct adjustments
to the image layer and discards image information.

Do one of the following:

Choose the color you want to adjust from the Colors menu in the Properties panel. You can also choose a Preset that you’ve saved.

In the Properties panel, choose a Selective Color preset from the Preset menu.

Select a method in the Properties panel:

Relative

Changes the existing amount of cyan, magenta, yellow,
or black by its percentage of the total. For example, if you start
with a pixel that is 50% magenta and add 10%, 5% is added to the
magenta (10% of 50% = 5%) for a total of 55% magenta. (This option
cannot adjust pure specular white, which contains no color components.)

Absolute

Adjusts the color in absolute values. For example, if you start with a pixel that is 50% magenta and add 10%, the magenta ink is set to a total of 60%.

Note:

The adjustment is based on how close a color is to one of the options in the Colors menu. For example, 50% magenta is midway between white and pure magenta and receives a proportionate mix of corrections defined for the two colors.

Drag the sliders to increase or decrease the components
in the selected color.

You can also save the settings you make for the Selective
Color adjustment and reuse the settings on other images.